Kostas Tziras’ novel ‘Η Δημοκρατία, η Σιωπή και ο Φασισμός’ (Democracy, Silence, and Fascism) has officially arrived in Australia, telling a tale of political turmoil that delves into the decline of Western democracy.
Tziras’ book, published by Ekdoseis Stegi follows the central character of Leo, who leaves his career in publishing following the death of his parents and retreats to the quiet provincial town of Mesopolis.
It is while there that Leo, and the world, is shaken by a bomb that kills 18 teenagers (members of the local football team) which is followed by a wave of a wave of coordinated terrorist strikes worldwide, leading to the indefinite suspension of democratic elections.
Through the chaos arises a powerful new global organisation that blurs the line between terrorism and governance, forcing Leo to confront unsettling truths about democracy’s fragility and the silent forces that enable authoritarianism.
The novel is deliberately timely and thought-provoking in its subject matter, exploring the fragility of democracy and the rise of global authoritarianism through a narrative that intertwines personal and political turmoil.
The work is in a minor way autobiographical with Tziras having left behind the metropolis life he had living in Athens, Berlin, and Amsterdam (like Leo) in pursuit of a quiet life of writing and research.
The book is available to Australian audiences, affording them the opportunity to experience the story for themselves.
